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Salvaging a stranded ship

Salvaging a stranded ship when it can't be salvaged with tugboats only. Commissioned by SMIT Salvage, Holmatro supplied lifting bags.

Situation

On Saturday 24 October 2009, the passenger ferry ‘Marco Polo' grounded on the Northern tip of the Island Sit, Croatia while en route to Split, carrying around 100 passenger and crew onboard.

Challenge

The stranded passenger ship could not be salvaged with tugboats only.

Solution

Our customer, SMIT Salvage, mobilised a team to draw up and execute the salvage plan. The operation consisted from the installation of additional strong points on the afterdeck to the installation of skid beams in combination with Holmatro lifting bags in the bulbous bow. The installations were necessary in order to minimize the friction coefficient. The bottom section of the bulb was separated from the vessel by cutting, and additional support was installed inside of the bulb to facilitate the full use of the skid beams while pulling the ship off with three tugboats. The result: the vessel was successfully refloated and was subsequently redelivered to her owners.

Would you like to know more about this project? Contact us via e-mail industry@holmatro.com or call +31 (0)162 751500.